Eddie Baggs: Nature’s water filter — land — is disappearing

As the population increases so does the demand for water. Our
reliance on water for agriculture and household use has been very
prevalent during the severe drought across the state this year.

Texas has more than 191,000 miles of rivers and almost 2 million
acres of lakes. The state's rangelands play an important role in
the quality of the water we depend on.

Rangelands, grasslands, shrub lands, marshes, deserts and
woodlands account for about 60 percent of Texas' land. These
rangelands support livestock production as well as habitat for
native wildlife, but most importantly they serve as the state's
watershed.

Most of Texas' water supply comes from captured surface sources
such as lakes and ponds or is pumped from underground aquifers,
both are dependent on precipitation that falls on rangeland so that
recharging can take place. These areas have an impact on the
quantity and quality of water on which we depend.

It is estimated that in an average year:

• about 42 percent of rainfall evaporates into the
atmosphere,

• 47 percent is lost through plant transpiration,

• 1 percent recharges the aquifers, and

• 10 percent runs downstream.

Rangeland influences the amount of water that evaporates,
infiltrates and runs off. Researchers have found that with 60
percent ground cover, runoff can be kept to 5 percent, thus
protecting water quality. Ground vegetation filters sediment
particles in which pesticides, nutrients and other pollutants bind
to, therefore increasing water quality.

As human populations grow so do the number of homes and roads to
reach them, reducing the amount of land available to absorb
precious rainfall and limiting nature's filtering system and
avenues to recharge our aquifers. Fortunately, because of the
efforts of our forefathers, there are millions of acres of
rangeland protected from development and misuse. But is it really
enough to sustain us with the quality of life we've become
accustomed to - or will we need to act soon to save our precious
resources?

EDDIE BAGGS, extension agent with the Texas AgriLife Extension
office in Denton County, can be reached at 940-349-2880.

Comments

DentonRC.com is now using Facebook Comments. To post a comment, log into Facebook and then add your comment below. Your comment is subject to Facebook's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service on data use. If you don't want your comment to appear on Facebook, uncheck the 'Post to Facebook' box. To find out more, read the FAQ .